Sunday, November 29, 2009

On Party Purity and Eleventh CommandmentsDaily Kos (blog)At the exact same time Lieberman was getting primaried by Ned Lamont, the most conservative member of the Democratic Senate delegation was being ignored. ...

Them Dems sure know how to loseTheDay.comIn the clearest rejection of this liberal orthodoxy that runs every aspect of the Connecticut Democratic Party, Ned Lamont, the darling of MoveOn.org and ...

Wind whips up problems in GreenwichGreenwich TimeBy Frank maceachern Wind that at times reached 50 mph downed trees and branches and cut power to about 150 Connecticut Light & Power customers in Greenwich...

Bill Bresnan, Cable Pioneer, Dies At 75Multichannel NewsBill Bresnan, cable pioneer and founder and chairman of Bresnan Communications, died Friday in his home in Greenwich, succumbing to a bout with cancer. ...

Saturday, November 28, 2009

Senator, Governor Are Worlds ApartHartford CourantThe first to embrace this notion was Ned Lamont, who wanted to be senator and is now exploring wanting to be governor. Close on his heels is Tom Foley, ...

Hilfiger's estate sells for $20mBoston GlobeFashion designer Tommy Hilfiger 's estate in Greenwich, Conn., has sold for $20 million, about $8 million below its original asking price. ...

Greenwich Symphony plays a cinematic EroicaDanbury News TimesBy Jeffrey Johnson, Correspondent The Greenwich Symphony's most recent program was described by conductor David Gilbert as being "about different aspects of ...

Do you know who the Surety/Bonding Company was for Worth Construction at the Greenwich YMCA renovation project? We are still waiting final payment and need to file a claim. They are not willing to tell us.

One short year ago we were trying to understand what the "Obama Tsunami" would mean for our economy, security and our nation as a whole. The common theme being bandied about was that the Republican Party was dead and that the landscape had changed in dramatic and historic ways. We were all looking for hope in the midst of a financial crisis, eight years of our brothers and sisters going off to fight in far away wars, and a political climate that had reached a level of nastiness not seen before. Post partisan politics, an open and transparent government accountable to the people was a refreshing thought.

As we all know, wishing hard enough doesn't always make things work out. We have watched in shock as the largest stimulus plan ever was rushed through the halls of Congress in order to prevent unemployment from hitting 10%. Thousands of pages of legal language have been passed so quickly that most of the members of Congress that supported them haven't even had a chance to read them. Promises of posting bills online before votes were broken almost as fast as the Champagne seals in the Speakers Office. Our indignation was compounded as our auto companies were all but nationalized, AIG was put onto a permanent respirator and there is a massive rush to change our health care system before America has a chance to return to the ballot box and put a stop to it.

The recent elections have shown how far things have come and how much things have changed since 2008. We have shown that coming together as a party and standing for something that counts means a great deal to everyone that casts a ballot. Locally, we have brought a new slate of leaders to the fore, Mike Pavia in Stamford, Peter Tesei in Greenwich and Tim Herbst in Trumbull, to name a few. These enterprising and charismatic individuals are bringing energy and new ideas to the forefront of our local governance. In a few short months, we will continue this push as we move into the midterm 2010 elections, again incredibly exciting for our state. Lt Governor Michael Fedele is running at the top of the ticket, looking to take his experience, knowledge and familiarity with CT voters to the State House as he succeeds Gov Rell. The slate of Senatorial Candidates looking to take the fight directly to Sen Chris Dodd is long and impressive; a vigorous and dynamic primary is exactly what we need to ensure that the person chosen to lead this fight does actually speak for the majority of people. The important issue to remember is that once this primary is finished, it is imperative that we all move quickly behind whoever is chosen to mount the challenge. If NY 23 has taught us anything, internal bickering is exactly what the Democrats are counting on.

The issues today are such that Republicans clearly have the advantage, and the actions of the Democrats this last year have ensured that people realize we need to have responsible leadership. In a recent Rasmussen Poll, 43% of those surveyed said they would vote for their district's Republican candidate vs. 38% choosing the Democrat. Fiscal responsibility, as we have seen, can be poorly managed by both parties, but right now Republicans clearly have the advantage. As the President allows time to slip by while our men and women are fighting in the mountains, America is looking again for decisive leadership abroad, While Congress stays in Washington on Saturdays so that they don't have to come home and face the voters, we are looking for reasonable and rational answers to healthcare.

This is the time for us to show that we have learned our lesson. Now it is our chance, our responsibility to stop the slide away from those principles which made ours the greatest nation, and ours one of the best states in that nation. Each of us has to appreciate the importance attached to this particular time and the nation we leave to our younger brothers, sisters, sons and daughters. Generations before us had to worry about what they left for their grandchildren, the pace of change at this moment means that we need to worry about the nation we leave our younger siblings.

Given these conditions we have an urgent need to come together as Republicans, as conservatives, as Americans -- in order to bring the right kind of change to the governance of this beloved state and nation of ours

Thursday, November 26, 2009

HARTFORD -- Sensing Sen. Chris Dodd's political vulnerability, the Connecticut Green Party is attempting to persuade its famous native son, Ralph Nader, to jump into the hotly contested 2010 Senate race.

Dodd's poll numbers give the Greens one of their best opportunities to win a U.S. Senate seat, said Tim McKee, a state party spokesman. And this time, McKee maintains, Nader wouldn't be a spoiler -- something he was accused of in the 2000 presidential election.

"A lot of Democrats would be upset about the prospect (of Nader entering the race). But we look at it as (Dodd's) already lost the seat," said McKee, who believes Dodd won't be able to resurrect the popularity he's enjoyed over the years.

A Quinnipiac University Poll released Nov. 12 showed 54 percent of voters disapprove of the job that Dodd is doing, up from 49 percent in September. The same survey showed the five-term incumbent Democrat particularly vulnerable among unaffiliated voters, the largest voting bloc in this otherwise Democratic-leaning state.

Talk of Nader possibly entering the Senate race has heated up on the Internet in recent weeks. The Connecticut Green Party is stepping up its efforts to encourage Nader to run and has planned a rally for Friday afternoon outside the Noah Webster Library in West Hartford, where Nader is scheduled to speak at a book-signing.

The 75-year-old activist and lawyer, who divides his time between Winsted and Washington, D.C., released a new book in September, titled "Only the Super-Rich Can Save Us!," and is currently on a national book tour.

Nader is registered to vote in Connecticut.

"This is not about his ego or anything else. It's not really a draft effort. It's an effort to show him there is a lot of, a lot of support," said McKee, who is working with other party members to build a team of 100 grass roots volunteers for Nader.

As of the end of October, there were 1,824 voters in Connecticut registered as Green Party members, according to the Secretary of the State's Office.

Nader has not said whether he's willing to be a candidate. Several messages were left seeking comment through his publisher and Washington office.

Dodd's campaign and the Connecticut Democrats both declined to comment on the prospect of Nader getting into the Senate race. Dodd already faces a Democratic primary challenge from former Air Force Officer Merrick Alpert. And several Republicans are vying for the GOP nomination, including former Rep. Rob Simmons, former World Wrestling Entertainment top executive Linda McMahon and Peter Schiff, a Fairfield County money manager.

McKee said he hopes the Green Party can help turn the Connecticut Senate race into a national race and encourage people from across the country to contribute to Nader's campaign. He estimates they'll need to raise at least $3 million to $5 million.

"We could be extremely competitive, and we think we could win," he said.

Gary Rose, a politics professor at Sacred Heart University in Connecticut, said the likelihood of Nader winning the Senate race in Connecticut is remote. But he said Nader would be a factor, likely drawing support from Dodd.

"I think that Ralph Nader at this point, he's an interesting candidate, yes, he has some die-hard following out there and some supporters but I think increasingly he has become old news in the minds of voters," Rose said.

"I don't think he could win the seat but I do think he could be a spoiler, no doubt about it," Rose added. "It's going to be very tight race."

Green Party members have their issues with Dodd. McKee said they believe Dodd hasn't done enough to push for universal health care or to withdraw troops from Iraq and Afghanistan. Also, the party is not happy with Dodd's role as chairman of the Senate Banking Committee.

"I think one of the reasons why Dodd is so vulnerable is, it's clear that he's in bed with the bankers and people are upset with that," said Charlie Pillsbury, co-chairman of the New Haven Green Party and a congressional candidate in 2002.

"The one thing that you can say about Ralph Nader is, he has been challenging corporate America his entire adult life," Pillsbury said. "He's somebody who I think people could trust and really rally behind."